52% Decrease in Law Enforcement Deaths - 30 Year-to-Date
30 Deaths in Jan: 15 COVID-Related - 5 Gunfire - 9 Auto-Related - 1 Accident
In January, 30 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The cause breakdown (January 2022 only) is: 15 COVID-related, 5 gunfire, 9 auto-related, and 1 accidental. This means that the year-to-date total for line of duty deaths is at 30, a 52% decrease from the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death this past month. We encourage our supporters to read the memorials of each of the officers who died in the line of duty.  odmp.org

Manhattan DA's New Retail Crime Alliance to Tackle Shoplifting Surge
Retailers Team Up With Manhattan DA to Help Tackle Rising Retail Crime
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is teaming up with small businesses in the borough to tackle the rise of shoplifting and commercial robberies that have been plaguing retailers for months.

His solution: launching the new “Manhattan Small Business Alliance,” which comprises of local business owners, Business Improvement District (BID) directors, members of law enforcement, and social service providers.

According to Bragg, the group will meet regularly to analyze and review data, draft recommendations, and develop solutions. The alliance will also host a series of focus groups with different types of small businesses, and businesses in specific neighborhoods to ensure that a diversity of perspectives inform the Alliance’s recommendations. Members of the D.A.’s Office, as well as Chauncey Parker, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Community Partnerships, will serve as a law enforcement representatives on the Alliance.

The group will first meet this month and expects to finalize its recommendations in May.

“Our borough’s small businesses are what make Manhattan so special, and I look forward to collaborating closely with our vibrant small business community to develop real solutions to the long-standing public safety issues they face,” Bragg said in a statement. “We’re going to rely on data to target our efforts and we will listen to the voices of small business owners from every corner of Manhattan.”

Shoplifting and commercial robberies have plagued Manhattan businesses for many years. Manhattan business leaders welcomed D.A. Bragg’s commitment to partnering with them to face these challenges head-on.

Ken Giddon, owner of Union Square-based retailer Rothmans Men’s Clothing has been named co-chair of the alliance. “We will listen to the wide range of perspectives on our committee, and ultimately come up with a plan to reduce shoplifting and commercial robberies in the borough,” Giddon said in a statement. footwearnews.com

NYC: 39% Spike in Major Crime in January
Shootings soar in Jan. as most major crimes in NYC return to pre-COVID levels
Crime, including car thefts and shootings, soared in the Big Apple in January, according to NYPD data released Thursday — the same day President Biden visited the city in response to the rise in violence.

The first month of 2022 recorded a 38.5 percent increase in nearly all major crime categories — rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and car thefts — in a return to pre-pandemic levels, the statistics show.

There were 100 shootings in January, a jump from the year prior when 76 were logged. Those figures show a marked increase from 2020 and 2019 when there were 67 and 52 acts of gunplay, respectively.

Overall, major crime was up in January compared to the prior few years. The majority of the increase can be attributed to car thefts, but an uptick in felony assaults and grand larceny also added to the total tally.

Murder was the only category to trend down from January versus the same month last year — 28 compared to 33, according to the data.

Car thefts, another COVID-era crime trend, saw the largest increase last month from prior years.

Over the first few weeks of 2022, New York City saw 1,187 reports of grand larceny auto, according to the data. That is about double 2021 and 2020, when 620 and 578, respectively, were logged, and nearly triple that same month in 2019. nypost.com

'Criminals Aren’t Victims'
(Update) Florida AG Ashley Moody wants tougher penalties for retail thieves

'We won't blame victims for the crimes perpetrated against them.'

Florida’s Attorney General is making the case for a bill that would crack down on organized retail theft rings. Ashley Moody appeared on the Fox Business Network Wednesday where she made the case the legislation would prevent issues she has seen elsewhere.

“In Florida, we are committed to ensuring that this lawlessness and this rampant organized crime does not take root and spread further,” Moody said. “If you go into one of these states or cities where you have a liberal executive, a Mayor and a liberal prosecutor, the crime there — the property crime — is just astounding.”

“When these things happen, you’ll see the executives, they’ll blame the victims,” Moody continued. “In Florida, that won’t fly. Criminals are not victims, and we won’t blame victims for the crimes perpetrated against them.”

Moody’s clear approval of the legislation comes as it’s moving in the Senate as SB 1534. The bill, sponsored by Bradenton Republican Sen. Jim Boyd, would increase penalties for people who steal multiple items from multiple stores in a short period of time. The second of three committees of reference approved the bill this week.

There is a House companion (HB 1511) carried by Newberry Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons. It thus far is stalled, with two committees of reference ahead.

The bill would impose third-degree felony charges on those who committed five or more thefts or who stole at least 10 items from two different locations within 30 days. Theft of 20 or more items would allow for second-degree felony charges. Businesses would have 30 days to total up the costs of the stolen items.  floridapolitics.com

Georgia's 'Inform Consumers Act'
ORC bill moves forward in Georgia to protect online shoppers from fake goods
Georgia Senators have teamed up to create a bill to prevent stolen and counterfeit goods from being sold online. The plan could save shoppers millions. Senator John Albers, Roswell, is sponsoring SB 332, which would make sure the items being sold on the internet are legitimate and authentic.

“Organized retail crime is happening all over our state and all over our nation, where bad actors are going and stealing on a large scale and then selling those products online. Last year, it cost consumers 69 billion dollars throughout our nation and we’re trying to curb that by making sure we’re not facilitating the process of crime through online marketplaces," said Albers.

Albers has named the bill, the “Inform Consumers Act.” With bipartisan support, including from Macon Senator John Kennedy, it’s making its rounds through the general assembly. SB 332 was passed by the senate on the tenth day of the session.

“eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, are all platforms being used and then 100 more. However, it’s more than just that. Sometimes they’re breaking into distribution facilities, and here’s a really scary part of this," said Albers. "Sometimes they steal things like baby formula. And if that’s not stored in a proper place and it’s been in extreme heat, and then it’s sold as new, we could bring great harm to children.”

How it works is simple: anyone consistently selling products online will be required to provide information on who they are and where they got their items from. If they say they purchased everything from someone else, they’ll need to show bank statements, proving they legally got it from a legitimate source.

Albers says the consequences for online theft end up falling on the consumer. When a business is robbed, they make their money back by raising prices. The "Inform Consumers Act" is currently on its way to the House. If passed, it could be a brand new law that saves Middle Georgia money. wgxa.tv

Retail Theft Crackdown in Wisconsin
Journal Times editorial: Retail theft crackdown should get approval
Here’s a proposal that shouldn’t be vetoed — a measure to toughen penalties for coordinated shoplifting. Its chief sponsor is state Sen. Duey Stroebel, a Republican from Saukville.

Under Stroebel’s proposal, the severity of penalties for committing thefts as a group would be determined by the total value of all the stolen items. Under current law, penalties vary from a misdemeanor to a felony depending on the value of the stolen property.

Aggregating the value of the stolen property makes it far more likely that felony penalties would come into play. We’re good with that.

We watched in horror this last Christmas season when thieves descended on California stores ranging from Nordstrom and Louis Vuitton to Home Depot smashing displays and grabbing clothes, handbags and jackets and then fleeing to waiting cars. One mob — clearly coordinated by cellphone — numbered 30 people who raided several San Francisco stores and another in nearby Walnut Creek at a Nordstrom’s reportedly involved 80 people.

California, not surprisingly, has moved to re-establish the crime of organized retail theft. Wisconsin should follow suit.

Stroebel said last week the state needs to send a strong message that organized theft rings will be punished. We agree. Stroebel’s bill would apply to coordinated groups of five thieves or more. That may be too high, but the Legislature can work that out. journaltimes.com

Violent Crime Public Emergency
City of Little Rock declares violent crime a public health emergency amid surge in shootings
The City of Little Rock, Arkansas, has declared violent crime a public emergency amid a surge in shootings in recent weeks. The city's board of directors approved the resolution for the declaration after it was introduced during a meeting Tuesday by Mayor Frank Scott, Jr.

The resolution "demands the attention of policymakers" and includes provisions to fund community partners via grants and other funding, hire more mental health workers and add additional officers to the Little Rock Police Department's street crimes unit, documents obtained by ABC News show.

Firearm violence "poses a serious threat to the health and quality of life of all residents of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas," the resolution states.

During the meeting, several board members voiced their concerns about escalating gun violence in the city, ABC Little Rock affiliate KATV reported. At least 10 people were injured in multiple shootings over the weekend, according to police.

Crime rates in the city have been exacerbated by the pandemic, said city director Capi Peck. yahoo.com

'Defund police movement is dead in New York City'
Rep. Ritchie Torres declares ‘Defund the police’ dead in NYC
The “Defund the police” movement that garnered support from some Democrats in the aftermath of the 2020 police killing of George Floyd is “dead” in New York City, Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres declared Thursday.

Torres, a first-term Democrat, made the proclamation after MSNBC’s Jose Diaz-Balart asked whether he agreed with Mayor Eric Adams’ stance against cutting police budgets.

“The defund police movement is dead in New York City — and good riddance,” Torres said. “And any elected official who’s advocating for the abolition and/or even the defunding of police is out of touch with reality and should not be taken seriously.”

Torres told Diaz-Balart that he also supported the mayor’s call to action to Congress and President Biden to prevent guns from coming into New York from other states.

Adams earlier told MSNBC that “defund” does not work and is “the wrong bumper sticker.” Biden echoed that message Thursday during an appearance at NYPD headquarters.

“The answer is not to defund the police. It is to give you the tools and training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors and [the] community needs you,” the president said. “It’s time to fund community policing to protect and serve the community.” nypost.com

Biden turns his focus to gun crime as Democrats try to shed 'defund the police' label

US: 77.1M Cases - 920.8K Dead - 47.3M Recovered
Worldwide: 389.1M Cases - 5.7M Dead - 308.3M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 344  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 630
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Drop 50% - Deaths Up 35%
US COVID-19 cases continue steep decline
Cases of COVID-19 continue to drop significantly across the country, as the most recent surge caused by the Omicron variant is declining at a rapid pace.

The United States reported 330,128 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 3,546 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. The 7-day average of new daily cases is 385,425, with 2,658 daily deaths, according to the New York Times tracker.

New daily cases have decreased by almost 50% in the last 2 weeks, but the average daily death rate — which lags by 4 to 6 weeks behind case rates — has increased by 35%. An analysis of new federal data shows 100,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since Thanksgiving.

It will take several weeks for hospitalizations and deaths to follow case count trends; The HHS Protect Public Data Hub shows 122,627 inpatient beds in use for COVID-19. Hospitalization rates are down 16% in the last 14 days. cidrap.umn.edu

Even as new omicron subvariant spreads, speck of light may be emerging for Maryland at end of pandemic tunnel
Another version of the coronavirus is spreading around the globe and causing high rates of COVID-19 infections, along with angst — but also a small measure of optimism.

BA.2, as it’s known, is a subvariant and closely related to the omicron variant that spread rapidly around the world after its discovery in November. Some studies suggest BA.2’s even more transmissible and just as dangerous.

It’s already been found in at least half of the United States, with Maryland reporting five cases so far in random sampling.

But here’s the not-so-negative part: Early research also suggests vaccines are protecting people from severe cases stemming from this and other new omicron subvariants. And because so many people have their shots and boosters, or already were infected with the original omicron variant, there may be enough community immunity to give the weary public a springtime pandemic break.

Moss and other Hopkins and state experts emphasized this week that the pandemic is not over, even though cases and hospitalizations are dropping quickly from their mid-January peaks. Deaths lag behind infections and are rising still. baltimoresun.com

TSA COVID Deaths
2 More TSA Officers Die From Coronavirus
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced the sad loss of Dual Function Transportation Security Officer (TSO) Ira Lerman. He worked at Boston Logan International Airport and passed away on January 24 following a COVID-19 infection. Lerman joined TSA in 2008 as a TSO at Boston Logan after an extensive career in finance in the Boston area. A native of Plymouth, Mass., he was well-known and appreciated for his dedication to the TSA mission.

The following day, TSO Robert Jasinski passed away following a COVID-19 infection. He worked at Philadelphia International Airport, joining in 2006, and served as one of TSA’s dedicated baggage officers. Jasinski also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

This is the 37th TSA officer to die from the Coronavirus. Homeland Security Today joins TSA in offering our heartfelt condolences to officer Lerman’s and officer Jasinski’s family, friends and colleagues. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Using AI to Secure the Post-Pandemic Workplace
How AI technology is redefining workplace surveillance in a post-COVID world
Surveillance is no longer only a watchful eye, but a predictive one as well. Its new definition not only includes using technology to keep bad actors out, but also to let the right staff in and enhance customer experiences. Under this expanded definition, surveillance technology has far-ranging positive applications across business and retail sectors that will create safer and more enjoyable environments that benefit everyone — not just those behind the camera.

Protecting and enhancing the post-pandemic workplace environment

With new AI-based surveillance tools like facial recognition, businesses can go beyond security to provide their employees with an enhanced workplace experience.

With 98% of IT leaders concerned about security challenges related to a hybrid workforce, AI-based surveillance can help better manage staggered and irregular work schedules by seamlessly identifying which employees are supposed to be in specific areas at certain times. This tiered access control can be taken a step further, as an operator can link facial recognition security software to systems that control automated doors or pair it with baseline authentication solutions for an added layer of protection.

By the same token, these AI surveillance tools can also be used to directly benefit the workers they observe. Now, a video management system (VMS) can be trained to identify VIPs, authorized personnel, and guests of the company, creating a frictionless entry experience for those security would wish to treat with utmost care.

Where masks are still required, facial recognition technology (FRT) can create safer workspaces by identifying employees who are not wearing their masks correctly and alerting them to fix their face coverings. Through this observation, AI tools can aggregate data on how many employees are wearing masks upon first sign in, which can help operators make better decisions about company health protocols.

Finding new opportunities to keep the right customers in

Surveillance technologies, such as security cameras and property management systems, are usually reserved to track shoplifters and threats to customers in the retail industry. However, with the explosion of online shopping over the past two years, and with 90% of US shoppers saying they’d likely return to a store if their in-store experience is positive and unique, retailers are looking to technology to create the best on-site experiences. helpnetsecurity.com

The Pandemic's Permanent Impact on Retail
Will Covid Forever Change Retail Shopper Behavior? Analytics Has The Answer
Covid-19 is shaking up decades of shopper behavior and creating a generational business opportunity for retailers to anticipate its effects. Locations are available now that haven’t been realistic for 50 years. Buying patterns, store footprints and more are transformed.

Companies can get started by assessing the information they currently have available. You can also pursue third-party or publicly available data. Once you’ve determined what data is available, look for an analytics vendor that provides real-time interaction and data visualization of large-scale and high-volume joined datasets from these different sources, with minimal coding required. Your team will want to pull information at the speed of curiosity, whether you’re planning staffing for the week or how much inventory to purchase for the next season.

Decisions can no longer be based on five-year averages in this tumultuous environment. Quickly and thoroughly analyzed with the latest tools, current data is critical to good decision-making. Retailers may be facing the competitive equivalent of an end-of-year sale — but with smart analytics at hand, they can be first to the checkout with the bargains. forbes.com

Meijer is the first to give customers free at-home COVID-19 PCR tests
Meijer has announced that its retail pharmacy will be the first to offer free, at-home COVID-19 PCR tests to customers. In partnership with a testing company called eTrueNorth, Meijer will be providing home PCR tests for pickup at the store. Customers will first have to register for a test online and, after filling out an assessment, will receive a voucher which can be redeemed for a test at a Meijer location. Customers conduct the nasal swab test at home and return the completed test kit to a Meijer pharmacy location, where it is then sent off for analysis. Results are available between 48 and 72 hours after dropping off the test.

The free at-home COVID-19 tests recently provided by the U.S. Federal Government in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service are at-home antigen rapid tests. Other options for free COVID-19 testing at pharmacies appear to stop short of offering free at-home testing. Walgreens, for instance, offers three types of free drive-thru testing online. retailwire.com

Covid Scotland: Shops experience first footfall rise since pandemic first struck

Finally - The #1 Retail Publication for the 'C' Level on ORC
The Dark Side of Online Marketplaces
February 4, 2022 Organized retail crime has become a $70 billion business and continues to plague retailers. What’s the backstory? There is a proliferation of thieves who use online marketplaces to fence stolen goods. Tune into Robin Lewis and Shelley E. Kohan, TRR’s chief strategist, as they pull back the curtain on organized crime and discuss the only viable solution. therobinreport.com

Macy's Facial Recognition Lawsuits
Despite some dismissals, Macy's still facing privacy lawsuits for use of facial recognition database
A federal judge ruled Macy’s might be able to avoid some allegations of violating privacy rights in New York and California, but its use of Clearview AI facial recognition technology could make it liable under Illinois' biometric privacy law.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman issued an opinion Jan. 27 regarding a consolidated class action involving allegations Clearview “covertly scraped billions of photographs of facial images from the internet and then used artificial intelligence algorithms to scan the face geometry of each individual depicted in the photographs to harvest the individuals’ unique biometric identifiers and corresponding biometric information,” Coleman wrote.

The larger consolidated legal action involves multiple allegations against Clearview and its founder Hoan Ton-That, and executive Richard Schwartz, both New York residents. Macy’s is a defendant because it allegedly bought access to Clearview’s database in order to cross-reference its own surveillance footage. The plaintiffs allege Macy’s accessed the database more than 6,000 times, uploading images to search for matches, situating it similarly to other database users in the proposed class of Clearview clients.

The judge sided with plaintiffs regarding their allegations under Illinois’ Biometrics Information Privacy Act and other claims involving proposed subclasses for California and New York plaintiffs: “The basis of plaintiffs’ BIPA claim,” Coleman wrote, is that “Macy’s actively purchased access to obtain plaintiffs’ biometrics without complying with BIPA’s notice and consent requirements.”

Coleman ruled the plaintiffs plausibly alleged a BIPA violation because their complaint reasonably allows an inference the facial data was a core component of Macy’s loss prevention strategy and that it “generated profits by reducing the number of stolen goods.” That connection between the use of personal information and the retailers’ larger business model proved essential to the surviving claims.

In agreeing to dismiss part of the California complaint, Coleman said Macy’s successfully argued facial imagery doesn’t constitute property as the Unfair Competition Law defines. She also agreed the allegations don’t “involve the protection of fair competition in commercial markets” and dismissed that claim without prejudice.

However, Coleman said a California common law right to privacy claim survived because it plausibly alleged Macy’s used images “without authorization for commercial gain.” cookcountyrecord.com

UK Supermarket cameras to guess age of alcohol buyers

Major supermarket chains have begun testing an automated age-verification system, to avoid the wait for staff at self-checkouts when buying alcohol.

Asda, Co-op and Morrisons are installing the system in some shops. The same technology is already used in Aldi's checkout-free shop in London.

If customers consent, the camera will guess their age, using algorithms trained on a database of anonymous faces.

If it decides they are under 25, they will need to show ID to a member of staff.  bbc.com

2022's Retail Outlook
2021’s New Normal vs. 2019’s Old Normal in retail
Datex’s 2021 Year End Report looked at the “new normal” of 2021 as compared to the “old normal” of pre-COVID in 2019. Because 2020 was such an outlier, we decided to use 2019 data to properly gauge the recovery. What does the data tell us about the outlook for 2022 and beyond? Three key trends stand out.

1. The New Normal is starting to look like the Old Normal. The overall health of retail improved quarter by quarter over the course of 2021 as evidenced by rent collection trends that improved quarter by quarter. Retail tenants overall finished the year paying 91% of their rents, just a shade below 2019. National chains outperformed 2019 numbers, paying 96% of their rent in 2021. The White House this week reported that 75% of American adults have been vaccinated; 77 million Americans have contracted the disease and developed antibodies. Society is adapting to a virus that is now endemic and the recovery should continue into 2022.

2. Increasing rents indicate leasing activity is high. We saw rental rates increase 3.88% in 2021, outpacing rental rates gains in 2019 by 7.99%, with the top-performing categories outpacing these numbers, suggesting that tenants and landlords alike are reading the tea leaves and like what they see.

3. Not all retail categories were uniformly impacted by COVID-19. The onslaught of COVID-19 was akin to the impact of a tornado, where some categories were largely untouched, and others were roundly destroyed. More fundamentally, because the pandemic changed consumer behavior over a prolonged period of time, it’s reasonable to ask if these will be permanent. chainstoreage.com

Nearly 500K Jobs Added Overall - But Retail Shifts Drop
America adds 467,000 positions in January
U.S. payrolls grew sharply by 467,000 in January, and the jobless rate rose to 4%, the Labor Department said Friday, as the economy weathered the Omicron wave and staffing shortages. The January jobs report reveals the impact of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on U.S. employment last month.

The total number of shifts worked by people at U.S. businesses decreased 5.1% in January, according to the payroll-services company Ultimate Kronos Group. The decline in workforce activity is the largest since the pandemic began. The surging Omicron wave hit the retail, hospitality and food-service sectors hardest. Shift volume in those industries declined about 7% in January from December.

Many economists are projecting the labor market will bounce back later this year, as the virus subsides. Workers who were sick will be able to return to their jobs, and employers eager to hire will have fewer disruptions to confront, they say. Plus, there are numerous signs the labor market remains tight, from elevated job openings and worker turnover to low numbers of unemployment claims. wsj.com

Private Security Company Giveaway
Enter This Contest to Own a Patrol Service Business
Private Officer International and Regional Security Group have partnered to give away not one, but two private security companies and you could be the new lucky owners!! NO BULL!

This will not be the run-of-the-mill competition and the challenge is going to be both exciting and straightforward! Five Candidates will be selected to participate in the challenge.

All challenges will be done locally, where you live. No travel is necessary. There will be a series of challenges and tasks that must be completed by each contestant. There will be no eliminations during the contest until the final two winners are chosen.

The two finalists will receive: Business Mentorship; Exclusive Security Company Operations Training; Protected Operations Territory; No Franchise Fees; Operational Seed Money.

Here’s all that you have to do to enter the contest: 1. Send an email to helpdesk@privateofficer.com explaining, in detail, who you are including your family life, work-life, what you like to do for fun, and any secret talents that you’d like to share. Also, you must articulate why you want to own one of our security companies. 2. Include a detailed resume. privateofficer.org


LPF Announces LPC & LPQ Professionals for January
The Loss Prevention Foundation would like to recognize and congratulate the following individuals who successfully completed all of the requirements set forth by the board of directors to be LPQualified (LPQ) and/or LPCertified (LPC). View Full List Here


Kohl’s adopts “poison pill”, says buyout offers undervalue it
Kohl’s Corp on Friday adopted a shareholder rights plans to protect itself from hostile takeovers, days after receiving buyout offers that the retailer said undervalued it.

Mass. AG office fines Family Dollar $1.5M for 3,900 violations - violating Massachusetts meal break laws

Consumer demand rises and Triangle's retail foot traffic picks back up


Quarterly Results
Amazon Q4 net sales up 9%, FY 2021 net sales up 22%

Ingles Markets Q1 comp's up 10%, net sales up 16.9%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Vice President, Loss Prevention & Safety job posted for Total Wine & More in Bethesda, MD
We are looking for a Vice President of Loss Prevention & Safety at our headquarters in Bethesda, MD. You will provide the vision and leadership for all enterprise-wide policies to reduce losses in support of the 5-year strategy and Annual Operating Plan. You will oversee the development and implementation of our Loss Prevention and Safety operation. You will work with senior executives, Regional Vice Presidents, and others to execute corporate strategies, achieve profitable sales, and conform to all laws and regulations. You will report to the Chief Stores Officer. jobs.jobvite.com